The Nadar Chronicles Part I: Andalite Home World
by Korean Pearl
Summary: Saranai of the Elemaki Chronicles is the mother of two half breeds who died so that her children could live. Her children struggle to survive in a hostile world that doesn't want them and never did, just because they are half Andalite and half Elemaki.
1. Chapter One

Nadar Chronicles Part I: Andalite Home World  
  
Ok, so here is the next part of my incredibly long series. You really should read Elemaki Chronicles before you read this – it gives you a lot of important background information. Also, an important note – Andalite/Elemaki years are different than human years. Kind of like dog years verse human years. Just keep that in mind – it'll make sense in the story. And oh yeah, I don't own Animorphs. Anyway, here goes.  
  
Chapter One:  
  
My name is Mayanamar-Senitur-Aventa.  
  
{Mamai!} I screamed.  
  
I was standing much too close to the wall of fire that separated my brother Osgaron and me from my mother, screaming for her. At the same time I lifted my small hands and beat them against the fire burning up my brother's tail, trying to put out the flames. My brother's knees crumpled as he lost his balance and began falling toward the flames. In desperation I leapt forward and caught him barely, my eye stalks straining forward in order to see that he would not fall.  
  
I leaned too far forward.  
  
My hearts jumped as I realized that my eyestalks had caught on fire. I screamed and yanked my brother away from the flames and then fell to the ground, burying my face in the scorched grass. I scraped my head against the ground, trying to stop the agonizing bursts of pain that shot to me from my tender eyes.  
  
{I love you. Do not fear. I will always love you,} I heard my mother's voice say.  
  
{Oh, Mamai,} I moaned, barely holding onto consciousness. Dimly I perceived my brother struggling to his hooves, his tail no longer there to help him stay balanced. He bent over me and shook my shoulder.  
  
{Get up,} he thought-whispered. {The flames are coming closer.} Osgaron pulled me to my hooves as I blinked, and tried to focus my four eyes.  
  
Something was different. I shook my head, trying to clear it of the blackness that was threatening to envelope me. My twin led me away, both of us stumbling, trying hard to ignore the fact that we were leaving our mother behind in a raging inferno.  
  
Then it clicked. I carefully opened my stalk eyes to view the area around us but couldn't. I tried again.  
  
They weren't there.  
  
No.  
  
I was a vecol. Like my brother was now. And not just any vecol. I was a female, an Elemaki, a half-breed, an orphan, and a child.  
  
I almost trembled at the thought of living.  
  
Slowly, almost painfully we made our way to a hill where we could rest. My brother kept his stalk eyes moving, scanning the grazing lands for any other signs of flames. I held his hands, helping him to stay balanced. Once we were at the top of the hill, we stopped and I turned around to see what was behind me.  
  
The fire was a wall, climbing to the skies. It was still creeping up, eating up our pastures, but it seemed to be moving much more slowly than before.  
  
{We are so dead,} I hear my brother announce.  
  
I tried to turn just my eyestalks to him, and then remembered that they weren't there when nothing happened. Laboriously turning my entire body around to face him, I asked, {What do you mean?}  
  
{Look at us,} he replied bitterly. {We're both vecols. The next Elemaki village is through miles of private property – private Andalite property. And it's not an accident that only Elemaki grazing grounds are being burnt up. They mean to kill us.}  
  
I stared, unable to contemplate such hate. Then again, I reflected, they killed Mamai...  
  
Oh Mamai...  
  
As if reading my mind, my brother reached out and stroked my cheek to comfort me.  
  
{Do not fear,} he whispered. {That's what she said. We'll make her proud to be our mother.} {Yes,} I responded. {And when we see her after we cross the Sea of Stars,} I continued, referring to the barrier between life and death. {She will be there,} Osgaron finished. He smiled with his eyes at me, then added, {Mamai gave her life for us. We've only lived three years – let's make use of the rest of them.}  
  
We continued to flee from the flames that had been creeping up on us as we talked.  
  
Once we were far enough away from the fire to be relatively safe, we stopped, both tired out. I recovered first, then turned to my brother, {We need a plan.}  
  
He bent his eyestalks forward to indicate yes, and then took a quick look around with his eyestalks to ensure our privacy.  
  
{Go ahead.} {We need to pass as Andalites.}  
  
Osgaron looked up, startled, and then began to raise objections but stopped. Instead, he stated flatly, {We can't.}  
  
I looked at him, willing him to go on.  
  
{Well, you can't,} he amended. {Why not?} I demanded, more afraid of his answer than angry. {Your tail will give you away,} he said simply, obviously not wanting to mention the state of his own. {Besides, we're not in any of the databases. If we try to go to school, or any public area, then it'll be like screaming, {Hey! We're Elemaki! Please come kill us!}}  
  
I thought-giggled at the idea of anyone doing something so stupid, but quickly sobered. {So, what do we do?} I asked him.  
  
All four of his eyes were blazing with such determination that I tried to look back at the fire to see if it was reflecting in his eyes and then remembered – no stalk eyes. I continued staring at him, suddenly afraid of the determination that I saw.  
  
{We'll live,} he said quietly. {No matter what life has to throw at us, we'll endure it together. We'll survive.}  
  
I looked at my twin brother. Only three years old, like me, but he got something, he understood something that I didn't. He had something that I wanted.  
  
And since he was my brother, I knew that he would give to me whatever he had.  
  
************************Review Responses***************************** The years/age comment makes sense now, right? Ok, here are the reviews to the previous chronicle.  
  
Tabatha – Here is the new chronicle! And thanks. I like to write about relationships between people or at least sentient being in this case, and that includes a lot of emotion.  
  
Anonymous-cat – Thanks for your review! Also, I probably won't go into that much detail until Mayanamar gets, well, I'm not going to tell now. But anyway, I'll keep that in mind. See, I think I said this before but I'm not sure, about how I imagine stories out before I write them, and sometimes I'll skip huge chunks of time because they are boring. So I'll work on the detail part. Thanks again!  
  
Hey – Um... thank you? j/k. I love you too! 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:  
  
{Move on. There is no place for you here. Or for any half-breeds.}  
  
Half-breed, shmaff-breed. I was so tired of hearing it. No room for half- breeds! Especially not vecols! Of course, no one said that word aloud – they just pretended to be speaking in private thought speech to each other, and just accidentally (without even knowing it) we heard them. Must be something wrong with their brains, if they couldn't even keep private thought speech private.  
  
And the worst part was that the Elemaki were saying this to us.  
  
Yes, we had done it. We had traveled over Andalite private property, had been tail-beaten on Andalite private property, and had been chased off of Andalite private property. We had been stared at by little Andalite children, mocked by the youths and scorned by the adults.  
  
Life was a real pretty picture. Then again, it was not like we had expected any different from Andalites. It was just so hard, so hard to see our people shun us. Or what we considered our people anyway.  
  
Who were our people? I mean, the Andalites had their "People" that the warriors swore vows to, but what about the Elemaki? Were they part of the "People" or at least a "People number two"? And what about the half-breeds? Were we a "People number three?" or just "fools number one" for thinking that we could actually belong somewhere.  
  
I turned my entire head to my brother. It still felt weird, not being able to just look at him whenever I wanted to, but I was slowly getting used to using just my main eyes for everything. And it had been only four months.  
  
{Osgaron?} I asked. {Yeah?} He answered, flicking those eyestalks at my upturned face. {I was just wondering... are we part of the People? Or is just half of us part of the People. Or maybe just half our blood. Well?}  
  
He was quiet for a long time. {I don't know,} he finally answered. Then slightly annoyed, he asked me, {Why do you ask me all these philosophical questions that don't help us? We need to worry about where we can sleep. Luckily the Elemaki,} he made the word sound like a curse, {can't patrol all their grazing lands, so we have enough to eat even though the nutrients are sparse. That's what we need to worry about, not whether we belong in part to a People that will never accept us.}  
  
I started to smile, but stopped. No eyes. Instead, I replied, {One day all the Andalites will bow their eyestalks to us,} trying to get him to laugh. {One day they will fear and respect us.}  
  
{Hah!} He laughed derisively. I saw his eye stalks flit quickly to where his tail had been then he looked at me again. I knew how much it hurt him that he would never be able to fight like every other male. As much as it hurt me that I couldn't see. At least I had two eyes left.  
  
Besides, he had answered my question. The Andalites would never accept us. So we weren't part of the People.  
  
How did my brother get so wise? I wondered. Or maybe he wasn't wise. Maybe he was just angry. Or maybe we were all just a bunch of psychotic creatures that ran around trying to figure out where we belonged without losing our own identities.  
  
Now that sounded wise. Unfortunately, I had no idea what it meant.  
  
We continued to wander in silence, keeping to the edge of the Elemaki grounds. At home we never had this problem of half-breedness, I mused. We always got along just fine. Then again, about ninety nine percent of our village was made up of mixed races. The Andalite soldiers must have decided to get rid of the half-breeds first. The "pure-bred" Elemaki were bound to be next on their list for extermination. After all, most Elemaki were sired by an Andalite somewhere in their lineage, if the line of an Elemaki could be described by such a noble name.  
  
Yeah, I was bitter too. The Elemaki were my mother's people, if not my people. And if they rejected us...  
  
Never mind. It doesn't matter, I told myself firmly. My brother was my people. My family.  
  
{Mayanamar?} Osgaron broke into my thought tentatively. I turned my entire head to him again. {What?} I prompted. He scuffed at the grass with his hooves and looked down at it. {I'm sorry that I snapped at you, I just, I don't know, I'm so scared, and I don't want you to look up to me, I want to be partners. I'd feel so bad if anything happened to you because then I would be responsible and -}  
  
{Hey! Vecols!} a voice called out mockingly.  
  
We both flinched, and then I turned while Osgaron twisted his eyestalks around.  
  
{Hey, half-breeds,} another voice sneered.  
  
I shuddered involuntarily, then turned to look at my brother to see what we should do, but stopped. No. He said we should be partners. I would decide what to do.  
  
Taking a step back, I grabbed my brother's hand to pull him back. He refused to come. This time I looked up at his face and saw the same determination that his face had shown the night of Mamai's death.  
  
{Yeah, go ahead and step away, little female,} the third Andalite boy said, putting as much disgust as he could into that one word. {You're too little to be of any interest.}  
  
My brother's eyes flashed, as he stepped forward. {No!} I thought spoke to him privately. {Don't. They're fools, just foolish children that don't know what they are saying.}  
  
He pulled himself away from my hand, not heeding a word I said. I too stepped forward, anything to get him to stay away. {Are you a fool too?} I hissed. Then I threw all respect to the winds and said, {you have no tail! How will you fight them?}  
  
This stopped him, but then he spoke coldly to me, {would you rather have a coward as a brother?} I cried out in desperation, {Is it a cowardly thing to run when defeat is sure? Is it not better to run, and then to come again, when you are ready? Is it not better to save your life now and use it later?}  
  
Osgaron refused to listen to me. Stupid males and their pride. What was wrong with backing from a fight? Those Andalite boys would attack him over and over again, regardless of whether he bore it or ran. The only time you shouldn't back away from a fight was if it would make a difference – a good one. And it wouldn't, this time, or any time for Osgaron! And I got to stand at the side, watching them hurt him like I had watched for the past four months.  
  
Not anymore. If Osgaron who had no tail could face them, I could too. Even though I was female and couldn't fight.  
  
So I closed my two remaining eyes, stepped forward and lashed out blindly with my half-curved tail blade, not wanting to see whether I hit anything. I heard one of the Andalites cry out, so I opened my eyes.  
  
I didn't see any blood, so I turned my head, looking around. I saw the leader of the three holding his arm, and at first I thought that I had hit him, but then I realized that he was laughing. With the other two. At me.  
  
{Your sister makes a good show,} one of them drawled, still laughing. Osgaron trotted forward to defend me so I quickly stepped back and ran into him. We both fell, me on top of him, while the Andalites continued laughing. We awkwardly lay there, while the leader said, {Alright. I'll let you off today, half-breed,} he told my brother. He gestured to the others. {C'mon.}  
  
They left.  
  
I got up quickly, expecting my brother to lie there in helpless shame. Instead he got up with me, and looked my straight in the face with all four of his eyes.  
  
{Thank you,} he said. {I know they laughed at us, but you had enough wisdom to know that what other people think of us doesn't matter. I know that I'm a hypocrite, and that even though I say I want to be equal, I still can't help thinking of you as an inept female. But,} he paused, then continued, {you aren't. You really aren't.}  
  
I kissed him lightly, as a good sister should, then told him, {it really doesn't matter, does it?}  
  
A slow grin grew across his eyes. {What is "it"?} He asked gently.  
  
{I don't know,} I replied. {I just know that something doesn't matter. It's a mystery. Kind of like how you looked and acted when Mamai... when...} my voice trailed off. {Yes?} He prompted {When Mamai died,} I finished flatly.  
  
He reached out and stroked my cheek in comfort, like he had done four months ago. When Mamai died.  
  
{I had the love of life,} he whispered. {I wanted to live, and to do something with my life. Not the fear of death, like so many others had.}  
  
{Thank you,} I whispered back.  
  
We continued to walk, looking for a place to spend the night.  
  
****************************Review Responses**************************** Yay! I have longer and longer chapters! Writing is becoming just as fun as reading.  
  
Ali-Adi – Sorry if I got your screen name wrong – the Microsoft word editor will erase it if I try and upload it with the carrot thing. Anyway, thanks for your review! Your review brightens my school day, although I do write fan fiction in school, especially in History class. That class is really boooring.  
  
Anonymous-Cat – Thanks! Also, about what Nadar is. I can't really explain it right now because it is a huge part of my story, but I'll explain it in one of the following chapters. It won't happen that quickly, but it will be explained in this Chronicle. Thanks for bringing that up though – I completely forgot that my readers wouldn't know what it was!  
  
DH L'Orange – Yay! Someone noticed! I actually worked on that part of her missing her eyestalks, because I wanted it to seem real, like someone was trying to use an organ that they were really dependent on, that they just lost. I did a little of that in this chapter too, but not as much because it's been four months and she's more used to using just two eyes.  
  
Hey – lovely review, since you happen to be lying on my bed as I write this response... *ow* don't throw pillows at me!  
  
Tabatha – Never would you lose the spot as my first reviewer. And yes, her brother dying (see Elemaki Chronicles for all those who are reading this review response and have no idea what I'm talking about) is part of the big picture. A very big picture. Too big to go into detail right now. Or ever, actually. Well, anyway, thank you so much for going to the trouble of reviewing even when ff.n wouldn't let you do it the normal way. Believe me, I really appreciate it.  
  
Now I realize that I hadn't been encouraging enough in urging others to review. A very special thanks to those who do review! If there are other people reading this story who don't review, please just press review and write: "I reviewed". You don't have to sign in; you don't have to write anything but those two words. You can shorten it if you like, just write, "uh." Very short and easy, see? But if you were to write a long review, then I would write you a long review response, see? And if you were to mention your stories, I would read them and review them too, see? Yeah, I think you see. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:  
  
We lived like that for two years. Wandering over the face of the Home World, searching for a home to call our own. We never found a permanent place to stay, and it was hard. Harder than I thought it would be. I remembered when I was just a foal and my Mamai was still alive, Osgaron and I would pretend to be great travelers bringing home tales of the lands that we had traveled in.  
  
It really wasn't like that. We were often cold, often hungry from lack of nutrients, and always scared. I would sometimes try and remember what it had been like with my mother, whether we had been scared or hungry. Our mother had been young, I remember, but there were many young mothers among the Elemaki. I hoped that I wouldn't be one of them.  
  
Today was a day like any other. We would walk, and walk, and walk, spending each day looking for somewhere to stay. Sometimes we were lucky and found someone who let us stay for a whole week, but in the end, we had to move on. I didn't blame them though. The Elemaki that did let us stay showed us kindness, but when they had to choose between their children and us, the choice was obvious.  
  
The Andalites were the same everywhere. No matter how far away we ran, rumors of us, rumors of half-breeds would gallop ahead by far swifter hooves.  
  
We always ran away.  
  
{Mayanamar?} my brother called me. {Where are you?}  
  
I was standing with my two eyes closed breathing in the scent of the air. Something was different about it. I heard my brother's thought-speech and spoke back, {Here, by the, um, smell.}  
  
{What smell?} he asked curiously, as he trotted over. {Stand here,} I instructed him. {Breathe.} {I always am breathing.} {No,} I corrected. {Really breathe. Inhale. Exhale.} {Yes, Mayanamar, that is how you breathe.}  
  
Irritated, I opened my eyes to see my twin smiling at me. I sighed loudly in exasperation, and then turned away.  
  
{Wow. The smell really is different,} I heard his voice say from behind me. {See, I told you so!} I said sulkily. {Let's follow it,} he responded.  
  
We started trotting forward, trying to locate the where the difference in the air levels started. It smelled... fresher, somehow, newer, or... just different. Osgaron and I continued, breaking into a full gallop when we came across a great shining expanse of water. We stopped, breathless.  
  
The sea!  
  
It extended out to the horizon, out to the rising sun, covering everything in its great embrace. Bluer than the grass, yet just as flat, it stretched out, out, out, marking the end of our path.  
  
I turned to my brother, my eyes shining, just in time to see him running out to the sea. {Wait!} I called out. I galloped across the grass that was swiftly turning into scrubby sand in order to catch up with my brother when an Andalite guard appeared right in front of him, blocking his way. Osgaron stopped swiftly, and backed away.  
  
I caught up with my brother as the Andalite guard glared menacingly. {No trespassers,} he stated firmly. {This is private property, children.} I saw his eyes glance over us then widen in shock when he saw my tail. {Elemaki!} he stuttered. {Half-breeds!}  
  
We ran before he could decide what to do with us, but unlike other guards that had seen us in our past travels, he came after us. {Elemaki!} he bellowed. The guard quickly caught up to us, and halted us again.  
  
{Come with me,} he ordered curtly.  
  
I stared at the guard, seemingly not understanding him while my mind was racing. If we don't come, he'll kill us. If we do, he'll kill us anyway.  
  
Then another thought came to my mind. Why does he want us at all?  
  
The guard's tail suddenly shot out and stopped right at the edge of my throat. {Come.}  
  
I made a quick choice between dying now and dying later, and decided on dying later. My eyes darted to the side to look at Osgaron and I saw his choice reflected on his face.  
  
We both followed the guard, who, very slowly, led us away from the sea towards... Andalite lands.  
  
Why were we going to where the Andalites lived?  
  
The three of us traveled in silence, the guard's cold blade just touching my bare neck the entire time. When we reached the end of what we had thought was Elemaki grazing lands, our captor took a quick 360 degree glance then pulled us over.  
  
{There,} he said, obviously satisfied. {You just came illegally over to Andalite lands. Now you are subject to whatever I want you to be subject to.}  
  
It took a moment for me to process what he just said. My brother, however, answered immediately. {But you forced us! We had no choice!}  
  
The guard's eyes glittered. {No,} he corrected quietly. {You came willingly. Your sister was the one I forced. She can return freely. But you can not.}  
  
His words hit me with full force. The land by the sea... it wasn't Andalite lands, it was still Elemaki grounds and now he tricked my brother into coming and –  
  
{Your sister,} the guard continued, breaking into my thoughts, {can return, of course, if she wishes to leave you here with me...} he trailed off.  
  
Curse him! What was I supposed to do! Leave my brother? No, of course not. But that was what he expected. Oh, what did this Andalite want from us?  
  
{Leave, Mayanamar,} my brother ordered.  
  
I stared at him, knowing that he was going to tell me that and knowing that I couldn't. But could I? If I was free then maybe...  
  
Don't be a fool. The instant you leave the Andalite will have his tail blade against your brother's throat and no one will say a word, but you'll know that you'll have to come, and then you be willing, and your crossing will be illegal. But if you stay now, when you were forced to stay, when the crossing was legal, then –  
  
{What do you want of us?} I asked the guard abruptly.  
  
{Oh, nothing much,} he said, his tone light. {Just a few chores, help my wife around our scoop, the usual...}  
  
Yeah, the usual, just be tail-blade bags for your sons to practice on, just be half-breeds that your daughters can mock, just be slaves for your family because you are an Andalite and we are Elemaki.  
  
Don't say a word. If you agree, you'll be willing. Just follow him, act as if this were completely normal. If this ever comes to court, they'll use a mind scanner and they'll see that I never agreed to stay, that I was forced, and therefore I am free.  
  
Hah. The "legal or illegal crossing of an Elemaki into Andalite lands" would never make it to court. The Andalites dealt with it themselves. The laws concerning the "crossing" had gotten stricter since we sneaked over miles of Andalite land two years ago. Any Elemaki on Andalite land was dead or {subject to whatever the Andalite wants you to be subject to.} {I am five years old,} I said, without looking up. {This is my twin brother,} I continued, referring to Osgaron. {You'll do nicely,} the guard responded. He turned, then said, {follow me.}  
  
For a second I was tempted to make a break for it. Then I followed the guard. No use. He would catch us and wouldn't be so pleasant the second time.  
  
{Why, Mayanamar?} Oh, Osgaron, if only you could understand without my saying it to you! {Mayanamar, if you were free I could stand being a slave.}  
  
But I couldn't stand being free knowing that you were a slave. {Mayanamar, answer me.} {I am still free,} I finally answered. {I never came over willingly. I was forced to come, and I can leave at any time.} {The Andalites will never buy that.} I know. But as long as I believe, maybe it'll be true.  
  
Yeah right.  
  
****************************Review Responses****************************  
  
Yes, it's a little shorter this time, but it was a perfect ending, so I had to finish. Also, everyone should be very grateful because I'm writing and updating instead of studying and doing my homework. If my mother finds out, my life is on the line. See how much I love you! *cough* review *cough*  
  
Jumba-jookiba – Well, I kept you waiting for two days, is that ok? j/k. I'm glad you like my story enough so that you want to keep writing!  
  
Tabatha – I'm glad you like Mayanamar's character development. Just a question though, kind of like to see if I am getting the right message to you. What do you think her character is like? Is she quiet, yet faithful, or the opposite – loud and dominant? Or a mix? Just wanted some feedback. Thanks!  
  
Custardpringle – yay! Your review made me laugh. And here is the update!  
  
Anonymous-cat – Nope, Nadar doesn't mean half-Elemaki and half-Andalite. It really isn't some mysterious thing... I'm sorry, I probably sound like I'm trying to tantalize you. I'll explain it eventually, but if I try now it'll just be way too confusing. Sorry!  
  
Hey – the cot is mine! I will kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil you!  
  
DH L'Orange – You are very good beta reader. If that is the right term. Anyway, you're absolutely right. Yet once again, I have a reason for that corniness. Read the next chapter, and I'll explain it my next response. And yeah, I should have worded it in a different way, but I just want to get over writing this chronicle and start on the next ones which are the ones that I really worked on. But, I'll explain in more detail next response. Thanks!  
  
Shiver – Yay! New reviewer! Thanks for review; I'm glad you like my story. Did you read Elemaki chronicles? I was just wondering whether that was the story from which my writing improved. Anyway, thanks! 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four:  
  
We knelt side by side in the darkness, eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. I could feel my brother's trembling flank against mine.  
  
I thought to him, {if he touches you again, I'll kill him.}  
  
I heard his mental sigh, and knew that he would be smiling if he had his eyes open.  
  
Oh, my beloved twin.  
  
He shifted slightly, {it isn't so bad.}  
  
{Yes, it is,} I responded fiercely.  
  
{If you kill him,} my brother started carefully, {then they will kill you. Besides, you don't have it that easy, either.}  
  
{The mother doesn't bother me that much. She virtually ignores my existence until she wants a chore done. She's only hit me once.} I paused, and then continued. {The daughter must be really insecure because she feels the need to remind me that I am a half-breed Elemaki every other second.}  
  
{That doesn't sound very easy,} my brother said softly. {And you know you couldn't kill anyone anyway.}  
  
I knew. But if that sneering Andalite filth – the only son, the youngest, the pride of the family that had enslaved us – beat my brother with his tail blade again, I would do something.  
  
I just didn't know what.  
  
{You know, it's odd,} my brother mused.  
  
{What?}  
  
{Why does this family have two children? I don't know any other family that does.}  
  
{The population reduction laws requiring only one child per family weren't passed until eleven years ago. The Andalites don't expect the laws to really limit the population growth until about twenty years later, although most Andalites already just had one child because of custom,} I reminded him. {This family must have kept trying to get kids until they finally had a son, right after the population laws were passed.}  
  
{Why didn't they just alter the chromosomes to get a son the first time?}  
  
{Well, the mother is kind of old fashioned, so I guess she didn't want to bother.}  
  
My brother was silent for a while, taking this in, and then continued asking his questions. {What about the Elemaki elimination laws?}  
  
{I'm not sure,} I answered honestly. {But I think that those are expected to take a lot longer. The Andalite custom of having as few children as possible doesn't exist among the Elemaki, so the Elemaki have a much larger population. Also, the Elemaki elimination is predicted to take much longer than at first expected because not all the Andalites hate us as fervently anymore. From what I've gathered, most Andalites view us as an unnecessary annoyance, but not the filth of the universe. The Yeerks stole that title.}  
  
{And they're welcome to it,} my brother answered. {It must be convenient to get all this news,} he continued, changing the subject.  
  
{Yes,} I agreed, {it is. I generally listen to it whenever I'm trimming the grass around the scoop.}  
  
We fell silent for a while, and then I spoke up. {We've seen it with our own eyes.}  
  
Startled, my brother said, {What?}  
  
{Remember? Every Elemaki village we went to was smaller than the previous one. There are less and less babies because of the slow sterilization of all Elemaki. The Andalite government is also deporting all Elemaki eight years to forty years old to the second moon with all the factories on it. The very moon that was declared unfit for Andalite civilians to live and too unprotected for an official military base. So of course the Elemaki get the privilege of living there. I hear that they hope to have us completely wiped out within a century,} I finished.  
  
{That'll be hard,} my brother remarked. {Since there have been no real population laws on the Elemaki until the most recent one, they have had the most children. These new, stricter population laws affect both the Elemaki and Andalites at the same time, but the punishment for breaking the law is just harsher on the Elemaki.}  
  
The punishment for the Andalites: absorption of the second child into the military  
  
The punishment for the Elemaki: death of the entire family  
  
An effective way to reduce the Elemaki population.  
  
The Andalites want to wipe out all Elemaki with the next hundred years. At the rate they are killing them off; they'll make their deadline – barely. There are still a lot of Elemaki out there.  
  
Will they kill or deport us too? Or will we be allowed to remain "happy slaves" for the rest of our miserable lives.  
  
My brother broke into my thoughts. {Mayanamar, I want you to promise me something.}  
  
{What?}  
  
{If I die, leave.}  
  
I immediately countered his statement with, {then if I die, you leave.}  
  
{I can't,} he said. {I'm bound here. I chose to come. You didn't.}  
  
{I chose to come, Osgaron,} I answered seriously.  
  
{There was no choice. He forced you.}  
  
{Osgaron,} I said, silently begging him to listen to me. {Osgaron, I made a conscious choice.}  
  
I didn't bother to tell him the choice, but he knew anyway.  
  
{Yeah, between death at that moment and death later,} he scoffed.  
  
{But I'm not dead!} I cried. {Maybe if he had physically grabbed me and dragged me over the border, but he didn't! I made a choice!}  
  
{Why do you insist on condemning yourself when you can get out of here by claiming that death is not a choice?}  
  
I stayed quiet for what seemed like a long time, but what was probably only ten minutes. Finally, with the sun just rising over the edge of the pasture lands, I answered. {Mamai made a choice. She chose between her life and ours. Her death and our death. She made a choice because she loved us.} And I'm making a choice because I love you.  
  
The sun rose, and we rose with it, going to the garden to work. We worked silently, falling into our usual rhythm. We had only been slaves for a month, and yet we already knew how to keep silent, be obedient and remain alive.  
  
{Elemaki!} a young male's voice called out. The brat, Xelaman. {Where are you, half-breed?}  
  
My brother turned to go, but the Andalite saw him and came over.  
  
{Where were you?} Xelaman asked arrogantly. {I needed something to practice on.}  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him lift his tail blade and hit my brother, who didn't say a word. The second time Osgaron staggered a few steps backward, but kept quiet. Xelaman continued beating him and I continued to do nothing.  
  
No.  
  
I stood up, my back straight. {Stop,} I ordered, then marched over, ignoring my brother's warnings in my head. The Andalite filth sneered at me, {Why? Do you get mad when I hit your brother?}  
  
What was I supposed to do? Osgaron was right. I couldn't kill him. But my brother...  
  
My eyes drifted to my brother, whose desperate pleas of {STOP!} were louder in my head. To his tail, that wasn't there. That would have been there if it weren't for the Andalites. That should have been there. Xelaman had a tail. Why? What was so different about us? Why should he have a tail when my brother didn't?  
  
Maybe I could give the Andalite's tail to my brother.  
  
The thought was so ludicrous that I almost laughed. All this was so meaningless!  
  
I don't exactly remember what made me do what I did, but I do remember lifting my tail, up, and up, and over, the cursed half-curved blade shining in the sun and flashing downward right into the base that connected his tail to his body.  
  
I didn't hear the boy's cry of pain, because my brother's shouts of horror drowned him out.  
  
{Mayanamar!} Osgaron shouted, jerking me out of my terror-struck reverie. I tried to pull my tail bade out of the Andalite boy's tail, but it wouldn't come. I used all the muscle in my tail to pull it up, but my curved tail blade was firmly embedded. The Andalite was still screaming about his tail, and so I decided to remove it for him. I applied pressure, and with one sudden push his tail was lying on the floor.  
  
My tail blade was covered in blood. I stared at it, at the still screaming boy, at his unattached tail, and lastly at my brother.  
  
I fell forward as my knees buckled, right into my brother's arms. He held me tightly for as long as we dared. Then, {You need to leave. Don't argue with me.}  
  
I knew he was right, but I couldn't resist asking, {What about you?}  
  
He answered, {I don't have a tail, remember? They'll know it wasn't me. I can lead them off. Go.}  
  
As I left his arms and bounded towards Elemaki lands, my brother echoed my mother's last words. {I love you. Do not fear. I will always love you.}  
  
I had an awful, awful feeling. Don't say those words! I almost cried out. But I couldn't leave my brother with that.  
  
{I love you too.}  
  
I swiftly ran, forcing my legs to carry me away.  
  
***************************Review Responses*****************************  
  
Ok, I've gotta make quick responses cuz it's late and I need my sleep.  
  
Hey – yeah, love you too  
  
Tabatha – thanks for the info! I'm glad that what I want Mayanamar to be like is what she seems like. Yeah, and the ocean I like to add surprising parts that are new and therefore make the plot surprising. And the hedgehogs, I should really explain that hey, (otherwise known as Becky) is my sister. Which is why we make all the comments about living with each other and her being in my bed or reading this over my shoulder.  
  
Twilek – thanks! I'll talk to you tomorrow in school.  
  
Rachel9466 – yay! I'm updating. And I reviewed your story. Sorry I'm not responding with a lot, but I'm tired. See ya!  
  
Anonymous-cat – Which part did you like about Osgaron? I think ff.net cut off some of it. And about the racism and stuff, I kinda got from KA that since sexism is practiced so widely that other stuff like this would be too. Slavery is not technically legal, or illegal, it's just ignored. Until they feel like wiping out all the Elemaki, and then slaves will be dead. But that's not till a 100 years yet, as you can see from the story above. And oh yeah, the Andalites are brainwashed into hating the Elemaki, like they were brainwashed into hating the Yeerks in the Animorphs series times.  
  
Sorry I'm so abrupt, but I need to sleep! And review please! 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five:  
  
I waited for hours in the rolling hills, about half an hours gallop away from the Andalite scoop that I had run away from.  
  
It was funny. I had just ran for my life, was still a fugitive, and all I could notice was that there were much less nutrients in the Elemaki grounds than in the Andalite grounds. How do they do that? I wondered. Did the government specifically set apart lousy lands for the Elemaki, or did the overpopulation of the Elemaki and the lack of caretaking of these grazing grounds deplete all the nutrients? The second one was probably it.  
  
Why did I care?  
  
A sound in the distance startled me, and I instinctively ducked, my head turning in all directions to see what it was.  
  
{Dump the body in the sea,} I heard an authoritative voice bark out. {Did you remember to inject the dissolvent into him?}  
  
I didn't hear the answer, so I assumed that whoever was there had answered in private thought-speech. Then the same voice answered, {Good. The sea water should absorb the dissolved molecules in a quarter of an hour.}  
  
I heard eight hooves gallop away, and then looked over the edge of the hill when the sound of the Andalites drifted away.  
  
Something was floating on the sea, bumping against the shore.  
  
My brother.  
  
Trembling, I stumbled across the plains to him. I could see him clearly, oh my brother, Osgaron, my twin.  
  
{You told me that they would know that it wasn't you,} I whispered to his floating body.  
  
I reached out, stepping into the ocean, that beautiful ocean that would carry my brother's DNA over the Home World. My hands touched my brother's fur, went over his cuts, and tried to close the awful wound that cut both of his hearts. Some of his fur came off in my hand, and impulsively I tucked it into my own matted fur, to keep it forever.  
  
I walked out deeper into the water, pushing my brother's body in front of me. I tried to think of something to do, something to say, but I couldn't. I was numb, in shock, and I knew...  
  
Nothing. I knew nothing.  
  
{Nothing matters,} I told him. {Nothing.}  
  
When the water was up to my knees, I pushed my brother's body out into the ocean. For the sea to take, to evaporate, to rain over the land, to grow the blue-green grass that I would run on and eat and live and breathe and die.  
  
I would eat my brother's body.  
  
What was the point? Why was I living? The world hated me, my brother was dead.  
  
I heard my brother's voice, saw his face before me, saying {We'll live. No matter what life has to throw at us, we'll endure it together. We'll survive.}  
  
Except there was no we.  
  
We'll make Mamai proud, he said. Except she was gone, and so was he and I was the only one left.  
  
So I have to make both of you proud.  
  
I closed my eyes, bowed my head in defeat, and released my brother to cross the Sea of Stars.  
  
When I opened my eyes, the ocean was gone.  
  
I was standing firmly, on a piece of nothing. I was surrounded by a mixture of light blue and white light that twisted around me, forever dancing and shifting, never staying in one spot.  
  
I was very, very afraid.  
  
{Where am I?} I called out.  
  
No one answered.  
  
I didn't move, afraid that if I shifted, I would fall, fall, fall, down this tunnel of dancing light and I would never stop, I would keep going and  
  
That idea actually sounded attractive.  
  
MAYANAMAR  
  
I screamed, a shriek of terror and fear at that resounding voice that drowned me, a scream born out of my grief and emotion.  
  
Emotions of hate and anger that I didn't know I had.  
  
MAYANAMR, the voice said again, and I knew who it was.  
  
{But you're not real,} I whispered in awe. {You're just a legend.}  
  
WHAT IS REAL? that great voice asked. Then, without letting me answer, he –the Ellimist, the monster of legends- said, LET ME SHOW YOU.  
  
A window opened in that expanse of great light, clear and lucid. It was blank for a second, then a blue and green and white planet appeared in the midst, turning swiftly on a tilted axis.  
  
I looked at it in wonder, looked at it as it grew larger in the screen, then all of a sudden I was in it, the planet had pulled me into it's orbit as surely as its dead moon that was only a space fighter's length from me.  
  
In an almost detached part of my brain, I knew that I wasn't here. I knew that if I shook my head and looked for the wavering blue and white lights they would be there and  
  
Not to mention I could breathe and I was in outer space.  
  
LOOK, a whisper came rushing from all around me; and I obeyed.  
  
The planet stopped spinning and I found myself released from its gravitational hold, and drifted towards the moon. The planet was growing larger and larger, too large to be real and I realized no, I was just galloping off of the moon into black space closer and closer until I entered the atmosphere and still I was running on air until I came to a cloud and I stepped on it and stopped.  
  
I looked down and I could see... what were they?  
  
HUMANS, the Ellimist voice said.  
  
So he was still with me. On a deeper level, I was dazzled at his power, and knew that I was dazzled, and knew that the Ellimist was doing this to impress me, but why? Why would the Ellimist bother to impress me? Why would he bother with me at all?  
  
Whoever the Ellimist was.  
  
On a less deep level, all I knew was that there were strange aliens down on the surface and somehow I could see them clearly, even at the height that I was down from. There were little ones, big ones, and the color of their skin was so strange! I mean, whoever heard of peach skin? Or brown, for that matter.  
  
I could sense some amusement from the being that brought me here, but did not know where he was. I was still too scared of him to ask him what was so funny, and the Ellimist didn't bother to explain. Instead he said, I KNOW YOU GREIVE FOR YOUR BROTHER, MAYANAMAR, DAUGHTER OF ALLORAN AND SARANAI.  
  
Grief hit me like a tail blade, slicing at my heart. Anguished sobs overwhelmed me, but the Ellimist did not give me time to grieve. Instead he said, LOOK AT THE LITTLE HUMANS. SEE HOW HAPPY THEY ARE.  
  
And see how miserable I am! I wanted to cry out, but kept quiet. Instead, I looked more closely at these odd people. They only had two eyes- like you do, I reminded myself- and walked on two legs. Their torsos were relatively normal. However, I could definitely see that some of the more little ones kept falling over because they didn't have enough balance.  
  
THEY ARE FIVE YEARS OLD, TOO, he said, and I knew he meant the little ones. They did look happy.  
  
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A PRESENT, the Ellimist said suddenly. What random subject changes! Was the Ellimist simply unable to hold onto a single area of thought, or was he purposefully striding forward in our talking, trying to get me to leap after him, forgetting where we just had been before?  
  
DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?  
  
{Of course,} I answered him immediately. Who wanted to be unhappy?  
  
Then it clicked.  
  
He wanted to give me a present. I wanted to be happy. Humans were happy. He wanted to make me a human.  
  
I looked at the sky above me, breathed deeply and closed my eyes.  
  
I WILL MAKE YOU A 5-YEAR OLD HUMAN.  
  
When I opened my eyes, the water was lapping at my legs again. Confused, I looked at my still blue hands, my four legs and my tail that humans did not have. I then looked out at the ocean.  
  
My brother's body was already gone.  
  
{Osgaron!} I screamed. {Osgaron!} I finally let out all my grief that I had bottled up inside me, the pain of losing my brother exploding into grief, anguish, sadness, loneliness...  
  
{Osgaron!} I called one last time into the great expanse of hated land and ocean that had stolen my brother's body from me.  
  
Shuddering, I turned away and fled, waiting for the Ellimist to keep his promise.  
  
**************************Review Responses******************************  
  
I'm really really really sorry that I was so late in updating. I had this huge PJAS project that I had to have in by yesterday, and I had no time to type up this story, so I asked my sister to while I went to a chamber flute music thing. So you can all thank "hey" for this updated chapter. And also, just as a follow up, I'm going to end the Part I series in a couple chapters because I want to move on – as I've said a million times before, this is not the main part of my story. Anyway, review responses!  
  
DH L'Orange – Ok, to start, sorry, I updated my fourth chapter like right before I got your review on my third, so I'm answering you on my fifth chapter. Yeah. Anyway, a beta reader is a fanfiction term that basically means your editor, someone who reads over your stories and catches Mary- Sue's and plot holes and of course, grammar mistakes, etc. A good beta reader is one who catches these big mistakes, and doesn't just say "kewl, but you spelled technical wrong." I got that from Noyze's anti-Mary-sue fic (which is actually really funny), but anyway, I was complimenting you on your skill basically to give constructive criticism. And about the mixed up tenses, that was because sometimes I would suddenly switch to Mayanamar's thoughts. Normally I would show this with a I thought, or more commonly with italics. Unfortunately ff.net doesn't allow italics, or I just haven't figured out how to work that out. So I'll try to be more clear in the future. Generally if I switch to present tense, Mayanmar is thinking. Thanks! And about the slavery stuff, that actually has an important part in the future that reveals a lot about Mayanamar's character. But that's like way way in the future. I haven't read any of those specifically, but I have read a lot of historical fiction about slavery, and some basic slavery books. I always found it almost repulsively fascinating that creatures of the same species would treat each other like that. So, I'm kind of playing on that, showing how people in general always have to dehumanize, or in this case, desentientize, (yes, I made up that word) others in order to have an excuse to treat them like lesser beings. Well, that's a really really long answer, and I hope I answered all your questions!  
  
Hey- Yeah, I wanted to make the sexism a natural part of their culture, so that even Mayanamar would just think that as a female she was less than her brother. I did that with the racism too, how they almost never questioned the fact that they were lesser beings.  
  
Tabatha – sorry that I haven't been updating! I really do want to, but I just find almost no time whenever our teachers like to pile their work on us. Anyway, that's a really interesting idea, about putting the Andalite kid in the military. I didn't think about that... hm *makes a note in brain*. I probably pull him up like 50 years in the future, since I do that. And oh yeah, I guess I wasn't clear enough, but the Andalite guy was born right after the population laws, so he doesn't have to go to the military, although I think he will because most males go to the military anyway, in the Andalite society. And Alloran isn't coming back as an important role, not in this chronicle anyway. I mean he gets infested an all, but other than that, nope. And also, I probably didn't make this clear either, but Maynamar doesn't know who her father is, at this present moment. I know the Ellimist told her, but she was too sad about her brother to actually grasp that. I'm gonna bring that up later though, too. Whew!  
  
Twilek – thanks. *looks at sexy Pakistani and laughs*  
  
Anonymous-cat – sorry, yeah, I mentioned in Elemaki chronicles that their tail blades were more bent over than Andalite blades, which is one reason why they are so despised. And since Mayanamar is a half-breed, her tail blade is half curved, so she can use it, but not as well as an Andalite. And about the Elemaki revolting, they don't work together well because they are so obsessed with their own families survival. Another little trick I use to show how sometimes the whole should come before the part, which almost never happens. But, yes, the Elemaki will continue to be slaughtered for now. And if you read the summary for Elemaki chronicles: About twenty- five years before the Animorphs an inferior race - the Elemaki - lives on the Andalite Home Planet. A young Elemaki female meets an Andalite aristh who gives her something, that in time gives her people the hope that they never had before. Oooh! Foreshadowing! I mean what could a guy give a girl that "in time ok, I probably just gave a lot away that I didn't want to. I'll stop now. And yeah, it's about twenty-five years before the Animorphs. Just as a question, do you know when the Andalites got their technology? It was around Aldrea's time, right? How many years before the Animorphs was that? IF ANYONE CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION (SEE PREVIOUS QUESTIONS) IT WILL BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THIS STORY. THANK YOU! And, yeah, thanks!  
  
Ali-Adi – ok, I'm gonna try and answer all your reviews with this one response. So, thanks! I'm glad that you got something new about the Andalites. I kinda got that if they were like the way KA showed in the present Animorph books, they would probably be a lot worse before the Animorphs times. And about Animorphs showing up, it's 25 years before them. I'm not saying a word, or I'll probably tell you everything. Sorry!  
  
Jumba-jookiba – Thanks, here is the fifth chapter! I'm glad you like my story.  
  
Rachel9466 – yeah, most people seem to like how Mayanamar cut the guy's tail off. Unfortunately, it killed her brother. Yes, I'm awful to my characters, but it is necessary character development. It really is! All my friends call me a sadist, but I'm really not! My characters need character building, and I, as their creator, have a duty to build their characters! Ok, enough of that. Yeah, the Andalites are all racist right now. But that is also because their government is so good at brainwashing. And don't worry if no one is reviewing right now – no one reviewed my first few chapters of Elemaki Chronicles except my friends because I bugged them to.  
  
And apparently, according to the review count I should have two more reviews to respond to, but fanfiction is not giving them to me, so I can't respond! I'm sorry, as soon as fanfiction shows them, I'll respond. And thanks for reviewing, whoever you are!  
  
I probably should say something incredibly witty to get you to review but I can't think of anything. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six :  
  
I watied for three years.  
  
Three years of running. Three years of hiding. Three years of torture.  
  
Three years of hating.  
  
I stumbled along a grassy plain, unaware of where I was going. The mud in my eyes half-blinded me, and the thick coating on my fur didn't help with my balance. I dropped to my side, trying to scrape off as much mud as I could off my body, and with it the humiliating scenes that kept playing over and over in my mind. The Andalite children shoving me, leading me to a mud pit that took me hours to get out of.  
  
My hand puleed out the bit of fur that had been my brother's from my side. I had tied it onto my fur in order to keep it more securely and had often risked my life to hold onto it. I tried to clean it the best I could, but without water it was impossible. Instead, I created a tight loop and put it on my smallest finger.  
  
There. Now it would stay.  
  
{What are you doing here?}  
  
I scrambled to my hooves, and bowed my head, wishing I had eyestalks to bow. {I apologize, Master Andalite.}  
  
A hand lifted up my chin. Two thumbs scraped off some of the mud that covered my face.  
  
{A half-breed,} he murmured, almost to himself. {A female. And a vecol.}  
  
Yes. I am a half-breed female vecol. You just forgot to add that I'm an Elemaki.  
  
As if hearing my thoughts, he echoed thoughtfully, {an Elemaki.} Then, {follow me.}  
  
I numbly followed him, not daring to refuse. He led me further into his scoop, which was devoid of children.  
  
{Yelana!} he called, and a female Andalite came out.  
  
{Solethi!} she scolded. {Why are you forcing the poor child to stand there? Come,} she beckoned to me.  
  
Dazed, I followed her into a waterfall, where the Andalite female washed me.  
  
Were these really Andalites? Was I dreaming? Or was I dead?  
  
The Andalite female – Yelana, she was called – finished washing me, then led me out, where the male was waiting.  
  
{Take it easy on her,} Yelana told her husband. {She's still dazed.}  
  
Take it easy on me? Was he going to hurt me?  
  
Solethi must have seen me draw back in fear, because he was instantly soothing me. {No, no, I'm not going to hurt you.}  
  
How did he know what I was thinking?  
  
{I don't know what you're thinking, I-}  
  
He could read my mind!  
  
{No, no,} he soothed. {I can't read your mind.}  
  
But you are!  
  
He sighed, while Yelana laughed. {You had better explain it to her, Solethi.}  
  
Solethi bowed his eyestalks in assent and turned to me. {I am a Nadar.}  
  
A Nadar! Those warriors that are disgraces because of their love of war and death! Those Andalites that are exiled, or worse, treated like Elemaki!  
  
{I do not love war anymore, child.}  
  
This was frightening, but getting interesting. I wasn't saying a word, yet we were still maintaining a conversation.  
  
{Yes,} he answered. {I know that it is odd to have me answer your thoughts, as it seems. I merely read your facial and body expressions.}  
  
I know my incredulity showed that time because Solethi sighed again, and said, {Believe me. It is a skill every Nadar eventually acquires. A genetic disease. Once you start to go to war, you can't leave it alone, and therefore you acquire a whole slew of special skills. One of which is to read body expressions. It takes some time, but yes, eventually every Nadar gets it.}  
  
I spoke for the first time since I met him. {But I thought-}  
  
{Yes,} he interrupted, {you thought Nadar were blood-thirsty warriors. This is only partially true.} His speech took a more scholarly tone. {There are, in actuality, three types of Nadar. 1st generation, 2nd generation, and 3rd generation, or 1st gen, 2nd gen, and 3rd gen respectively.}  
  
He paused for a moment, then continued. {3rd gen Nadar are those you would have heard of. They are the war-loving warriors like me.}  
  
Solethi looked grim as he continued with a, {since I'm a celebrated war hero they couldn't kill me or exile me so instead they forced me into retirement last year, once they found out I was a Nadar.}  
  
{But why-} I started.  
  
{Why do they exile or kill Nadar? Well... oh, come, don't be annoyed. Your body language is so apparent. Your whole body was showing annoyance at being interrupted. And how did I know that you were going to ask that specific question? It's the only logical question to ask, and your face showed puzzlement after I said that most Nadar are exiled for being Nadar, so I made an assumption.}  
  
I stared at him.  
  
{Well anyway,} he continued, {the government is scared of Nadar, because we are the perfect killers. 3rd gen are war lovers. 2nd gen are the apathetic killers. Killing is like breathing air to them. If you try and take the fighting away, they'll fight for it or die. If you give them more, they'll breathe it. Other than that, they don't care. 1st gen, now they scare me. Absolutely cold-blooded killers. They have horrible childhoods, and they are ruthless. 2nd gen usually are pretty miserable too, but they won't kill as often as they will, so they are not as bad as 1st gen who kill every chance they get.}  
  
My mind whirled. War-loving warriors. Apathetic killers. Ruthless murderers.  
  
Solethi continued his lecture. {No one really knows how many Nadar there are, since there doesn't seem to be a pattern of Nadar birth – 3rd gen Nadar have a genetic disease, but this disease is random – it tends to skip multiple generations, affecting only one person out of an entire family. 1st and 2nd gen Nadar are more common however. Wherever there is unhappiness, there will be 1st and 2nd gen Nadar. What does this have to do with you?} he asked, again reading the question in my body. {Well, after I was forced to retire, I began transporting Elemaki to the Island.}  
  
I stared at him again. The Island... a legendary place that Elemaki were free, the place that civilization was supposed to have started on the Andalite Home World. The Andalites attacked the Island over and over again, but somehow the Elemaki disappeared, even when the Andalites sent entire armies to wipe them out.  
  
I had never even considered once that it would be Andalites that smuggled Elemaki to freedom.  
  
But who else? Elemaki couldn't – they had no power. But Andalites?  
  
My confusion must have obvious because Solethi smiled again. {All Andalites are not evil,} he said gently. {They are just children, misled children who act evil because they are taught to be so. I have traveled far and seen many civilizations. Unlike other warriors I studied them in order to defeat them, and I learned to see their ways.}  
  
I said nothing, unwilling to ask my next question: How could I trust him? Instead, I asked, {How do you know that I am not a spy?}  
  
He saw right through it. {You can trust me because if I was here to deport you I would use force, not trickery. You are what, about eight years old? I do not need to trick you.}  
  
Ok, so that made sense. But was I willing to put my life on the line just to trust a stranger?  
  
Your life is worthless anyway. You're eight now, if you stay here, you will be deported and you can expect to work to death for the rest of your life.  
  
If I don't go, I will die anyway. If I do, there is a chance at surviving.  
  
Why do I want to survive so badly?  
  
{I will arrange for you to get there immediately.}  
  
Why does he assume that I will go?  
  
Because I have already decided.  
  
Somewhere, deep inside, there is desire to survive, to live, to grown, and eventually, to die. There is no life without death, and I wanted to live, I wanted a life, I wanted to do something with my life.  
  
I just didn't know what.  
  
Make Mamai and Osgaron proud of you. That's enough.  
  
For now.  
  
***************************Author's Notes*****************************  
  
Hey everybody! Sorry, this is a short chapter, but it was a perfect ending. And I made a decision not to respond to reviews anymore. Sorry, but it takes a lot of time and I think people would like it better if I just uploaded right away. If people really want me to respond to reviews, I might change my mind. And here, finally is the long expected definition to Nadar! Oh, yes, I will upload the next chapter tommorow, and the chapter after that the next day. Hopefully. I have them, I just need time to put them up. Thanks! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:  
  
The journey wasn't that bad. It took about a week, and was almost all underground. I simply followed my guide, who never spoke to me, except to tell me to be quieter.  
  
I was glad to obey.  
  
So now I gathered a moss that grew around the rocks near the ocean. Other children were with me, most of them pure-bred Elemaki. There were a few half-breeds, and a couple of vecols even.  
  
They were shockingly kind. After five years of wandering among both Elemaki and Andalites that hated me, it was almost like I had my family back.  
  
Almost.  
  
I shied away from all the males, the memory of my brother still too painful even after three years. Saraswati was a female my age and although she was pure-bred Elemaki and was not a vecol and had a family, she was still kind to me.  
  
Her friendship might have been the first step in a long road to healing if the Andalites hadn't destroyed it.  
  
Like they did everything else.  
  
Saraswati was next to me, explaining about the weekly raids that the Andalites made on the Island, and how everyone rushed to the underground caverns to escape them.  
  
I finally found out how the Elemaki disappeared during those raids and it wasn't that magical. Galloping for your life in order to find a hole to dive into.  
  
Hurray.  
  
Saraswati stopped her explanation and stood rigid as if listening for something. Then she dropped her work, and beckoned to me.  
  
{Hurry. The alarms started. We need to run.}  
  
{Alarms?} I asked, my voice questioning.  
  
{Yes,} she stated firmly. {The Andalites are coming. Follow me.}  
  
We both dropped our bundles of moss and started to flee like the other children around us were doing. This was my first raid, so I just followed Saraswati, who led me in a straight line towards her mother.  
  
Mamai.  
  
A hovercraft flew over us, lazily shooting at the fleeing Elemaki, trying to hit the children. The parents responded by shoving the children aside to take the beams themselves.  
  
But that's what the Andalites want! I wanted to scream at them. They want your strong bodies to work! They don't care about the children because they are easy to get! They'll just come for your children later when you are out of the way!  
  
Why were parents so irrational?  
  
Why did Mamai die for us?  
  
Love. That's what I told my brother.  
  
What was love?  
  
Why was I thinking about this?  
  
Why did I always have the most random thoughts whenever I was about to die?  
  
I saw Saraswati up a few feet ahead, heard her thoughts urging me forward when the hovercraft shot a beam of light at me that knocked me out, giving me no time to even attempt to answer my questions.  
  
I woke up in a hold of a transport ship, with about a dozen other Elemaki.  
  
{Thirteen,} I heard a disgusted voice from the doorway. {Thirteen, and half of them are vecols.}  
  
I kept quiet, although I wanted to point out that half of thirteen was six and a half and therefore it was impossible for half of us to be vecols –  
  
Unless there really was half an Elemaki with us.  
  
I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't want to look.  
  
About a minute later I felt the floor sliding under me. The hatch had opened and all of us were sliding out landing in a heap.  
  
I bumped into a female who was about twice my age. I turned to look at her and almost gasped.  
  
Her features were so... Andalite!  
  
I looked at her tail, and there it was straight. What was an Andalite doing with us –  
  
She must be one of those almost Andalites, I mused.  
  
I think it was then that despair hit me. If such a pretty almost Andalite could not escape the curse of the Elmaki, how could I?  
  
For I had already been planning on how to escape this place as soon as I first breathed in its foul air, air that was thick with the blood of thousands of Elemaki.  
  
I must have been staring at her for quite a while because she turned her eyestalks to me and said, {Yes, I know, I am almost a pure-bred Andalite.}  
  
I almost expected her to be haughty, but her tone was of such bitter despair that I was taken aback.  
  
{My name is Kyrani,} she continued.  
  
{My name is Mayanamar,} I answered automatically. No point in telling her my other two names that weren't technically legal.  
  
Wait a second. Why did I have three names? Only Andalites had three names.  
  
{Well, Mayanamar,} she continued, breaking into my thoughts, {you would do better to kill yourself right now. This is my third time here. I escaped twice because I look like an Andalite, but after a simple gene test it is obvious that I am not.} Kyrani paused, then bitterly stated, {It's worse for the females.}  
  
That decided me. I would leave. As soon as possible.  
  
I just didn't know how.  
  
We were led to our sleeping grounds, then shown to the factories, and were set to work right away. After some trouble, I adapted to the rhythm. Run your fingers trough metal threads, entwining them in a special braid that I learned quickly. Drop it into a machine that molded it, and then moved it along to who knew where.  
  
The only annoying thing was that if I let my mind wander I would cut my finger on the metal strips.  
  
My arms tired quickly, but I forced myself to hold them up. Up, up, up, it isn't that bad... just six more hours and then...  
  
I longed to let my fingers rest.  
  
I couldn't think of anything. Kyrani had escaped probably just by walking onto an Andalite ship and passing as an Andalite. Maybe if I...  
  
{Ow!} I cried as the metal cut the inside of one of my fingers. The blood spilled over the metal and I mentally cursed myself.  
  
Great. I was going to be in so much trouble.  
  
DAUGHTER OF SARANAI AND ALLORAN.  
  
The blood flowed backward, back into my finger, and it healed itself as I watched in astonishment.  
  
I wanted to scream, but my long habits of deference and silence held me. Instead, I looked around the room for him, and saw that everyone but me was frozen in place.  
  
A little boy was there, frozen as he bent over his work.  
  
Osgaron. He was Osgaron's age. When he died.  
  
Scream at him! Who cares if it is the Ellimist! Osgaron is your brother!  
  
Was.  
  
But I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't even remind him of his promise three years ago.  
  
The Ellimist said nothing else, but the room began spinning around me, forcing me to close my eyes. When I opened them, I was standing in a room.  
  
It was an odd room, medium-sized and covered with a light gray grass that gave off no nutrients.  
  
An alien was sitting on a table, it seemed like, although there were several soft layers of something covering the table.  
  
Human, that was it. The alien was a human. It had been three years and I could still clearly remember when I had looked down on their planet Earth and seen them, seen them...  
  
Happy.  
  
This human that was staring at me... I was no Nadar, so I couldn't tell how it was feeling. But still...  
  
I could sense happiness coming from the creature. Happiness and peace.  
  
Two things that would never be mine.  
  
The human lifted itself up on its two legs. "Hi, um, who are you?" I jumped at the sound of its voice. Startled, I blurted the first thing that came into my mind. {You make sounds like a kafit bird with that hole in your face, yet I can understand you.}  
  
Then remembering that I was an Elemaki, I said, {I'm sorry, I mean, my name is Mayanamar-Senitur-Aventa.}  
  
What in the world made me give her my full name?  
  
Going back to the why I had three names in the first place.  
  
We observed each other carefully, then the human spoke. "Greetings, Mayanamar. My name is Maya Lancing Hesser. I am a female human, or am now. I used to be..."  
  
Her voice faltered off. What did she mean she was a human now? I prompted her with a {what?}  
  
The human looked at me for a moment, then closed her eyes, concentrating on something.  
  
She shriveled up rapidly, making me gasp, while wings shot out of where her shoulders used to be. Once she was a full kafit bird she reversed this transformation, back into the human that she had been.  
  
The human then pulled a green-blue band off of her finger, and said, "This is for you," as she walked toward me.  
  
I stared for a minute, in awe at the balance that this creature had. Forgetting my position, I again asked the first thing that came in my mind. {Don't you fall over with only two legs?}  
  
The corners of the slit in her face turned up, but she didn't answer me. Instead she grasped on of my hands and put the band on the smallest finger of the hand that didn't hold my brother's fur.  
  
{What is it?} I asked.  
  
"It's a ring,} she explained. "A... gift. Well, ok. You know how I just turned into a kafit bird?"  
  
{Yes,} I responded. How could I forget that?  
  
"This ring will give you the power to do that. To morph. And more. See, when you morph you can only stay in that body that you morphed into for two hours."  
  
My genetic translating chip heard the word hours, but noted to me that this human's hours were different from mine. So accordingly, I asked, {What is hours?}  
  
The corners of the hole in the human's face turned up again. "You have an internal clock that will tell you what two hours is," she explained. "However, with this ring, you can stay in morph as long as you like. Only don't go past the limit unless you have to, because the more you do so, the harder it is to get back to your original self. Also, once you morph with it, you can't morphs without it."  
  
I looked up at this human that was giving me such a strange power. {How do you morph?}  
  
"You concentrate on the animal you want to morph into while touching it. That is called acquiring. Then you take your hand away and concentrate on it by yourself. To get back to your own body you think about your own body. Oh yeah, and one more thing. Give me your tail."  
  
I stared, puzzled, but lifted my tail so that it rested in her hand. The human gently nicked my finger with the ring on it, and a drop of blood slid down and touched the ring, which glowed red. The human then released my hand.  
  
"Now no one can use the ring except you. Don't lose it. And after you try it, hide it in your kafit bird morph. Just concentrate on your body without the ring and it will work. And also, when you morph, it returns you to its original DNA, so basically morphing heals wounds. Creator's blessing," she finished.  
  
Now I was really confused, but the smallest glimmer of hope began to grow. {Thank you,} I told her softly.  
  
"Go now," she responded.  
  
{How?}  
  
"Just step backward. The time portal will carry you back."  
  
I stepped backwards obediently, and the room began to spin like the work room had before, when the human cried, "Wait!"  
  
I looked up, startled.  
  
"Don't ever give up. No matter what happens. Don't you ever give up."  
  
{Alright,} I responded.  
  
"I'm serious, don't ever give up. And – "  
  
The room spun more rapidly, making her last words fuzzy and unclear just as I reappeared in the work room.  
  
What had she said? Tell princjhakt we won? What was a princjhakt? And won what?  
  
It could have been a dream. It should have.  
  
Except the ring, she had called it, was on my finger.  
  
The factory was back to normal, and I quickly continued returning to braiding the metal bands, ignoring the fact that both my hearts were racing.  
  
The day finished quickly after such an enormous event that no one else noticed.  
  
What kind of creature was the Ellimist that he could transport me to... wherever he had taken me?  
  
A very powerful one.  
  
And again, what did he want of me?  
  
When night came and everyone else was sleeping, I slowly got to my feet, and made my way over to the edge of the sleeping grounds.  
  
Morphing? I wouldn't have believed it was possible unless I had seen the human do it in front of my own eyes.  
  
"You concentrate on the animal you want to morph into while touching it. That is called acquiring. Then you take your hand away and concentrate on it by yourself. To get back to your own body you think about your own body." That was what she had said.  
  
Crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy.  
  
I was desperate enough to try.  
  
*****************************Author's Notes***************************  
  
Yay! Extra long chapter! And sorry Anonymous-cat, but I am finding less and less time to type my stories up. I usually have time to write them (during history class) but I often can't upload them except in five minutes between classes, and then I can't if I have to respond to reviews. Even if you don't review as often, I'll still appreciate your comments! And thanks to everyone one else – oh what the heck, I'll respond to your reviews. I like to do it anyway. I'll find time.  
  
Anonymous-cat – see above statements, and also, what do you mean by looseness? I know sometimes I get lazy and don't research my information as well as I should, but I wasn't sure if that was what you meant. Can you give me some examples? (in other words I am desperate to improve my writing, so any tips work!)  
  
g21/to – thanks for your review, and I'm glad you liked the idea of the sub- cultures. I thought it was a little weird that the Andalites were all of one race, so I played with that idea.  
  
Tabatha – yeah, I'm a fickle being and I'm responding to reviews. But being too stubborn is a bad thing too! Anyway, thanks!  
  
Oedipal Kat – Are you kidding? I read your story, Face to Face, and it was one of best ones I've ever read in my life. I loved how you played the similarities and differences between Rachel and Taylor. You're one of the fan fiction authors that actually make fan fiction worth reading. And what happened to Trial by Fire?!  
  
DH L'Orange – Oh yeah, about the Ellimist. *puts on secretive face* well, see it's kind of hard to explain without revealing the entire plotline (you have an uncanny habit of forcing secrets out of me and of reading my mind) but it is part of my story. A very vital part of my story. And I'm not saying anything anymore, cuz you really are good at reading my mind.  
  
Ali-Adi – thanks! I always like reviews. Nice happy reviews.  
  
And I think I worked out the time thing. If it doesn't make sense later I'll fix it. Thanks for everyone's help! Hey! *whispers loudly* review! 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight:  
  
I stood in the field, eyes closed, concentrating.  
  
Concentrating on the band of fur – the ring of my brother's DNA that I still had around my finger.  
  
I concentrated on the image of my brother, alive, beside me, but it twisted into a picture of his dead body lying in the ocean that curled up to become this ring of DNA which was all that I had left of him.  
  
I felt myself grow, say my purplish fur turn bluer, and then...  
  
Eyestalks shot out of my hardened stumps.  
  
I stood, breathing with my brother's lungs, seeing with his four eyes, and –  
  
My brother's tail was full and beautiful behind me.  
  
I panicked. I instantly thought of my own body, trying to run away from this male's body that would have been my brother's had he survived, this eight year old half-breed Elemaki that had died for me.  
  
My own body was back, but...  
  
My eyestalks.  
  
They were back.  
  
What had the human said? Morphing heals wounds?  
  
The enormity of the situation hit me. I had already been classified as a vecol, my DNA was already in the records.  
  
There was no way to explain this... sudden regeneration of my eyestalks.  
  
And the Andalites didn't like the unexplainable.  
  
I was as good as dead.  
  
Curse the Ellimist! I thought vehemently. Curse him for bringing me to the human!  
  
All my suppressed rage of eight years surfaced. My anger at the unfairness of the world that took away everything and everyone that I had ever hoped to love.  
  
My hatred of life erupted, and it was directed at the human in full force.  
  
Curse the human! May she suffer a life as full of bitterness as I did. Curse her for giving me the ability to morph, and with it death. Condemn her and may her life be full of misery!  
  
I felt someone acknowledge both of my curses, but then the sweeping sense that the Ellimist was already cursed came to me.  
  
I knew, however, that the human would suffer.  
  
I had to think, and fast. How to get out of here.  
  
Ok, Mayanamar, think logically. You are on a moon. It is surrounded by space. The only way to get out was through a space ship. Not one back to the Home World though, I was through with that planet. Somewhere else, one of those civilizations Solethi had talked about.  
  
How did I get on a space ship?  
  
Bribery, of couse. But what did I have to give? And what would Andalites want?  
  
I was too young to tempt them with my body, and I wouldn't have anyway. Any kind of prostitution or sex out of marriage disgusted me.  
  
Slavery. Slaves were illegal, but Andalites still wanted them. Maybe if I offered myself as a slave to some soldiers who weren't that good at cleaning...  
  
Time to act.  
  
First, get a kafit bird. Easy enough. In this space bubble necessary precautions were taken to have a steady ecosystem, and quite a few kafit birds had been transported here. They shed their feathers quite easily, too.  
  
I walked up to the nearest tree, and there enough, was a generous supply of kafit feathers. I picked one up, and concentrated, this time morphing more swiftly. I then concentrated on my body without the ring, and when I had demorphed, I looked at my finger, and it was gone, somewhere in the DNA of the kafit bird.  
  
Good.  
  
I took a step, and then stumbled over a very black object that apparently had been hooked around my hoof. It probably came off when I was morphing, I decided. Picking it up, I looked it over. It was a standard memory recorder, thin and endurable.  
  
I gave the mental thought-speech command to open it, and it started.  
  
{My name is Saranai.}  
  
I almost dropped the memory recorder in shock. This was my mother's hirac delest!  
  
{The fire is closing in on me. I can feel its heat; can see its red tongues come closer. Strangely, I'm not scared. I know that I'll die, that the fire will consume me as it did so many others of my race.}  
  
I listened to the story of my mother's short life, of her final words, in less than thirty minutes.  
  
{I am only sixteen, yet I have slept with an Andalite, survived a massacre and bore two children. I have known in full the bitterness of life, and now I shall know the bitterness of death.}  
  
Slept with an Andalite...  
  
I had never considered that fact. I knew that I was a half-breed, but I had never thought of my father...  
  
An Andalite. What was it that the Ellimist always called me? Daughter of Saranai and –  
  
Alloran. My father was an Andalite. Alloran-Semitur-Corass.  
  
I had his lineage name.  
  
Mayanamar-Semitur-Aventa.  
  
The human - she had told me to never give up.  
  
But I had cursed her.  
  
This was too confusing.  
  
Think, Mayanamar. Whenever something is too confusing, hold onto one truth, something that will never change. Ignore the rest.  
  
My mother and my brother had loved me. And I was going to make them proud of me.  
  
That was two truths. They would do.  
  
Straightening up, I made my way over to one of the docking centers, almost trembling at my rashness.  
  
I think my new eyes gave me confidence. There were so many sights that I missed with just two! I would no longer have to turn around each time to look behind me, and above all, I was no longer a vecol.  
  
Maybe morphing wasn't such a bad gift after all.  
  
If it kills you it is.  
  
I watched from a distance as three Andalite soldiers playfully fought each other, loudly complaining whenever they lost, with no thought to the sleeping Elemaki.  
  
Typical arrogance.  
  
Yet I had to approach this arrogance.  
  
Once again, I questioned my motives. Why was I doing this?  
  
Because I was dead anyway. And it's amazing what someone will do when faced with death or another choice  
  
For a brief second, I considered what the world would be like, if every choice was made in preference to death. Would it be better?  
  
I didn't know. All I knew was that, once again, certain death stood on one side, and less certain death stood on the other.  
  
What made me choose to go with Solethi? I had gone with him to avoid deportation to this very moon that I was now on! What was the point?  
  
You learned that Andalites care. That there are Elemaki that you consider your People. That your father is an Andalite, and that his name is Alloran- Semitur-Corass.  
  
Did that matter?  
  
Yes.  
  
I tucked away that thought in my mind, and stood straight. The wake-time was soon, and it was now or never.  
  
Osgaron, Mamai. I call on your memories to guide me. And... Alloran. My Papai. If you have crossed the Sea of Stars, I call on you too.  
  
The same sense that had acknowledged my curses now flooded me with assurance.  
  
Adopting a humble stance, I walked forward slowly into the clearing where the Andalites were still fighting.  
  
****************************Review Responses****************************  
  
I have a question. Is Alloran's name Semitur or Senitur? I thought it was Senitur, but I wasn't sure at all, and someone told me it was Semitur. So I changed it because I don't have a book with his name. In fact, I don't own any Animorphs books. I just borrow them from the library and look up stuff online. And just as a note, I probably won't be able to get any stories up till the weekend because I have lots of work. Too bad we aren't allowed computers with internet access in history class, then I could update daily!  
  
Hey – thanks! I'll start having you beta my stories again once I get around to writing them.  
  
Custardpringle – oh yeah, well, Mr. Bray was substituting for Spanish class, and we were in the lab, so I just kind of typed my story then, and I needed a name for the Elemaki girl. So I asked Mini if I could use her name and she said yes. I told her I might have to kill Saraswati but, she didn't want me to. So I compromised by saying that I would create another character named Sowdamini, and I would not kill at least one of them. So she said ok, as long as one of them makes it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Saraswati though. And you liked the Hesser thing? I'm really bad at making last names, so I did that to amuse all my friends. And Kyrani was based off of Kyran, Becky's friend. I like Indian names for some reason.  
  
Ali-Adi – well, plot twist, it would probably seem like that, but the thing is, that I have everything planned out in my head already, so it doesn't seem twisty to me, but very straight. If that made sense.  
  
Tabatha – Oh, those blurred words! Don't worry, all will be explained. Eventually. In a long long while. *laughs evilly* sorry, it's just that it's so perfect. Ok I'll stop now since I'm not making sense.  
  
Oedipal Kat – I'm sorry, I wasn't a member when you wrote Face to Face! I know it's a lousy excuse, but I actually started reviewing more after I started writing, because it made me realize how much people like reviews. Please forgive me! If I think up anything about Trial by Fire, I'll email it. And I didn't read Visser, so sorry I don't know what you are talking about. I was completely unaware that there was a Maya there. And you got it perfectly right about the ring. You could think of it as an early version of the morphing cube, something that you touch to get the power to morph, but that you need to be in contact with at all times in order to morph. And yes I have plans for Kyrani but they don't come in for a while. Kind of like those blurred words. And the geography, I might have done something subliminally, but then it would have been really covert. I had a more obvious reason that I'll explain later. And also, isn't Myanmar in Southeast Asia? I thought it was there for some reason. Oh well. Thanks for your review!  
  
And yes, I'm sorry that I won't be updating for a while, but please review anyway! 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: 

I had done it. I was on the ship. I had survived a week.

And I was still trembling.

Thinking back, I realized that the Andalites must have been high on a root or something, because they so easily, so readily, accepted me as "cleaning- slave".

It was almost scary that it was so easy.

No matter. I would deal with it. After all, I wasn't a vecol anymore. I had all four eyes, and I was off the moon and I was not going back to the Andalite Home World ever again, and...

I could morph.

I could settle down somewhere. Sneak off when the Andalites weren't looking, join another civilization, and morph one of them. Perform a Forsil Maneuver. After all, I wasn't going to spend my entire life with these idiots who called me over to tend the grazing grounds every six seconds.

And maybe when I was a little older, I could travel. Yeah, that sounded good. I'd get a planet where they had spaceships, join up, then leave when I was old enough, and go from planet to planet.

Or just do something with my life.

Leaving the Andalite Home World opened up so many avenues for me. I mean, for once, I was actually able to do something.

But what?

Well, I've got my whole childhood to figure that out.

Whatever is left of my childhood.

Then, I can spend the rest of my life doing what I plan.

If I don't die first.

I'll make Mamai and Osgaron proud! That's right.

No comment.

Or... I know! I'll find my Papai.

He didn't come back to get Mamai, why should he care about me.

Shut up.

Tired of arguing with myself, I wandered over to the huge window in the bridge. The soldiers didn't much care where I went as long as I wasn't under hoof, so I stayed out of the way mostly. I looked out the window, and noted that we were about to land on a greenish planet that – according to the DNA readings – was flourishing with life.

Yay. I get to wait on board until two of the Andalites returned with DNA samples that I could then catalogue and organize.

Meanwhile acquiring all of them.

It was almost funny. These Andalite soldiers were very good at going out and killing the creatures that they needed the DNA of, and collecting the DNA, but once they had it they were hopeless as organizing it. So that was another one of my jobs.

I guess it's because morphing is such a new technology, I mused. I mean, I had no idea that morphing was a real technology until I overheard the soldiers talking about it.

Our orders are to collect DNA from non-sentient creatures. Do not land on planets that have sentient life. That was what one of them had said.

It was smart, though, this mission was I mean. Going out and collecting the DNA of different creatures. Too bad that the animal had to die though, in order to collect the DNA.

I shuddered, thinking about the tool that they used. A small, thin square that could fit in my palm that was fitted out with laser cutters on its edges. The Andalites would thrust the square vertically into the creature's body, and remove a layer of flesh on the two outside sides, and a layer of blood sandwiched between. Some electronic pressure field held all of it together, and a micro-computer recorded the DNA automatically and labeled the square, complete with a picture of the animal. All you had to do was place it in alphabetical order in the cases so conveniently provided by the Andalite army.

Stupid Andalites.

I simply had to give the thought speech command to release the pressure field in the area that held back one side of the flesh, place my finger on it, and acquire the animal.

I hadn't actually morphed any, because I was deathly afraid that the Andalites would find out that I had the morphing power and would assume that I stole it – which was ridiculous, since it took several operations and injections in order to get the morphing power. Stupid Andalites, again.

There was talk that the Andalites would soon condense the process to just touching an object, but that wasn't expected to happen for at least another five years. There was that one scientist working on it... who was he? Oh yes, Trentil-Escafil-Benwil. An odd name. One of his parents must have enjoyed assonance, not to mention rhyme.

Our ship started the landing sequence, and I started to leave the bridge. One of the soldiers purposefully stumbled and bumped into me.

Curse you! You're always in the way! Do you want to be left behind on this planet? Or jettisoned into space in our escape pod with no steering control?

Yeah, yeah, go on, threaten me, I know you won't do anything. I'm too valuable to you right now. But I'll play along.

Apologies, Master Andalite, I said, bowing my eyestalks. It was almost worth having to bow my eyestalks as long as I had them.

He nodded his eyestalks at me in response and brushed past me. I continued to wander, waiting for him and the other soldier to return. The last soldier would be in the grazing grounds, supposedly guarding the ship. I knew he'd be eating. He was such a glutton.

I trotted into the fields, and there he was, running across the grass.

Why was I so nonchalant? I had been terrified when I first came – no even this morning I had been so... so... scared. Maybe I had just been scared about how easy it had been to get on the ship. Or maybe now that only the fat lazy Andalite was left... no, I hadn't been scared when the Andalite soldier threatened to leave me behind when he bumped into me.

Maybe I was just bored.

Yeah, that had to be it. On the Andalite Home World I had been constantly surrounded by danger, but here, I quickly realized that these Andalites were no real threat. I was almost betting that the government needed this menial job done and they chose soldiers that wouldn't be a loss.

With nothing to do, my mind wandered to my memories. Like other Andalites/Elemaki, my memory was almost perfect, to the degree that I could recall situations with ease, and slip into them.

There weren't many memories that I wanted to relive, but it was useful when I wanted to review something. Like talks with Saraswati about how most Elemaki lived. Or like those conversations I had had with Solethi about Nadar.

He had talked about three generations of Nadar. I wondered briefly why they were labeled generations, and then remembered what Solethi had told me the night I had stayed at his house, after he took me in that day I was pushed into the mud pit.

No. Don't think about that.

I forced my mind to think about what Solethi had said. Generations, generations, oh yes, generations. The first known Andalite Nadar that had coined the term Nadar was a first generation. His son was a second generation, since his son lived in the same miserable conditions, but had escaped later. And his daughter was a third generation. This was many years ago, when the Andalites lived in a society ruled by Nadar.

I almost laughed. Andalites ruled by Nadar? Of course it didn't last. The third gen would hunger for too much blood, and at that time they couldn't take it to the stars. The 2nd and 1st gen would be much too bitter against the people that they were ruling. Unless...

Maybe, just maybe if...

I held my head in my heads, trying to grasp the thought that was slipping away. Maybe if there were two parts of government – no three, one over the Nadar, one over the civilians, and one just to be a bridge between the two...

Would that work? Solethi had told me a lot about the Nadar, and from the way it sounded, Nadar were as capable of love as they were of hate, they just needed someone to guide it to the right direction.

That someone had better be strong. Really strong, to guide the emotions of the Nadar.

But wasn't the best warrior the ones that were indifferent?

Solethi's words came echoing back to me. Indifference has nothing to do with how you kill, only who you kill. The 1st and 2nd gen Nadar aren't interested in killing everybody, just the ones that hurt them. So in a sense the best warrior is the one that can feel and can know when to kill and when to hurt, not one that just wants to kill, like the 3rd gen.

I remember he smiled sadly with his eyestalks when he said this, and mentioned, The 3rd gen gets a blood lust that takes over them. The 3rd gen need strong hand to guide them, and the 2nd and 1st gen need someone to love them, besides guiding them.

But it hadn't worked. The Andalites rebelled against the Nadar, and overthrew them, and made their name a curse for thousands of generations.

One really important reason why the Andalite government hated the Nadar now.

But the Andalites then were successful in overthrowing the Nadar only because the Nadar were sick at heart. The Nadar didn't want to rule, they wanted to be loved, after years of being hated but the People still hated them. Because the Nadar ruled them.

This was so confusing.

But what else had Solethi said? That the Nadar...

The Nadar had deserved it.

Never think that a Nadar doesn't deserve what he gets. If you look at a Nadar, you will see the worst possible monster that can exist. Others might say that it is genetics, or society that creates a Nadar, but I know from personal experience that the Nadar makes a choice to become a Nadar, even a 3rd gen makes a decision to kill. Whatever happens to a Nadar, they deserve it.

I had questioned that, I remember. I understood about the 1st and 2nd gen, that no matter what they went through, murder is still a choice. But the 3rd gen, weren't they made that way?

It is still their fault, he had answered. A 3rd gen may be born 3rd gen, but it is still his choice to kill.

I realized that he was right after he compared the 3rd gen to the Elemaki- hating Andalites. They may have grown up hating Elemaki, there were some that were genetically altered (in their brains, before birth) to hate Elemaki, but it is still a choice to kill the Elemaki, no matter how they were born.

But about the government. I needed to get this straight. The Nadar couldn't rule civilians, because civilians are all about peace and Nadar are all about war. Ok, so back to my idea about three branches of government. So then if –

A thought flashed through my mind. The Nadar couldn't rule over the People because they wanted to fight. Solethi had told me. The motto of the Nadar: Live to fight, and fight to die. But what would Nadar fight for? Solethi had told me about that too. That a Nadar may claim that all he needs is the fight, but in reality there needs to be something to fight for, that fighting, the killing is not enough.

A cause to fight for. Yes, that was the key. They key to Nadar and civilians living together. The Nadar would fight to protect the civilians.

Perfect.

The civilians would be the People, and the Nadar would fight for their...

Freedom. The Nadar would fight for the freedom of their People.

I was almost giddy with the thought. I wanted to shout, I thought of it! I thought of a solution to the Nadar problem, as the government calls it. I thought of a way to work with Nadar!

And then the second branch, one to connect the Nadar wouldn't be needed. Well, it would be needed, but it would only be a department, something to connect the two when interests weren't the same. But it wouldn't be a branch of government.

One problem Mayanamar, who is going to use this system?

That thought and the fact that the other Andalites were returning from their DNA gathering woke me up. It's very nice to plan governments of Nadar and People, but it's not like anything is going to come from it, I reminded myself.

I went to help the soldiers unload their packs of DNA which I would then organize.

I love my life.

Review Responses

Yay! It's the weekend! And since I have Spring Break this week, I will update more frequently. And also, the next chapter will be the last in this Chronicle. I'm moving on to Chronicle 2! And lastly, I am not answering any guesses on what's going to happen or anything. I will just answer you with "cheese".

Ali- Adi – Thank you! This chapter was more meditation, really, no action, but I like to have occasional chapters just of Mayanamar's reflection.

DH L'Orange – Oh yeah, we have internet at school too, but I never do anything in History class so I might as well be productive and write, right? And I'm glad you liked the eyestalks part again although that was less purposeful than last time. And yes, cheese. And yes, Rachel is a 3rd gen. And about the genetics part, it isn't detectable at birth because it is a submissive gene that is actually a mutation that occurs every few generations. It only mutates fully, however, when the Nadar first goes to war. So the original gene at birth doesn't show whether it is a Nadar or not – it looks the same as other people, it changes after the Nadar fights. I made most of that up, by the way, on my limited biology that I learned last year. Dominant and submissive genes fascinated me, so I'm including a lot of that in my story.

Anonymous-cat – I didn't spend that much time on Elemaki Chronicles because that was the background needed to explain Mayanamar's parentage. I really wasn't interested in Saranai's fate (as sweet as she is) except maybe how she reacted to her family being slaughtered. And cheese to all the questions because I'm going to reveal something if I answer them. They'll be answered eventually, anyway.

Tabatha – thanks! That'll be really helpful. Your email is in your bio, right? And sorry, I don't. But I've been to Georgia, before, and it's nice and warm!

Hey – Trent is soooo cute! Why would you kill him?

Jumba-jookiba – cheese!


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten:  
  
{Elemaki!} one of the soldiers called, waking me from my sleep.  
  
I answered him in my mind, as I always did. Well, technically I'm not a full Elemaki, so it would be more politically correct to call me half- breed.  
  
And then he would swing his tail blade and remove my head from my shoulders.  
  
Yes, it would be better to remain silent.  
  
I wearily got up. Another day of cataloguing. And acquiring. I had so much DNA swimming around in my blood now that I would have had trouble remembering if I hadn't made a point of storing in my brain the names and images of the animals that I acquired.  
  
I made my way to the soldier, thinking about how completely useless my life was at this point. I was eight, and I had done nothing.  
  
How many eight year olds do you know that have done something useful in their lives?  
  
How many eight year olds do you know, period?  
  
I arrived at the bridge. {Yes, Master Andalite?}  
  
{Come here.}  
  
Something was wrong. He was edgy, his eyestalks jerking at every noise. The other two soldiers were just as jumpy, even the fat one.  
  
Amazing. They actually got him away from the grazing grounds.  
  
{I have an announcement to make,} declared the Andalite that had called me.  
  
Great. Get on with it.  
  
{We have now finished collecting all necessary DNA.}  
  
Yay.  
  
{And we will be returning to the Andalite Home World.}  
  
I jumped, and a {No!} burst out of me before I could stop. I couldn't go back! Oh, why hadn't I gotten off at the last planet! Better for me to stay in a planet with no sentients than to go back to that... that hideous planet of monsters.  
  
{You don't want to go back, do you, little Elemaki,} the second soldier said.  
  
I knew the proper response would be, {Whatever you will, Master Andalite,} but I couldn't will myself to say those words. Instead, I whispered, {No, I don't want to go back.}  
  
{Very well,} he continued. {You don't have to go back.}  
  
I don't have to go back? What?  
  
Before I could blink my four eyes all three of them had shredders trained on me. The one who had called me first informed me coldly, {We were checking out our military records, and found out that one more blemish would exile us.}  
  
Hah. I knew that the military didn't want soldiers like these. But what did that have to do with me?  
  
{You are the blemish.}  
  
His words hit me like a wave breaking over my head. You are the blemish...  
  
{Walk backwards.}  
  
I stumbled backwards, knowing that I was going to die, that I was stupid to think that leaving the Andalite Home World would do anything, that we all died in the end so it was stupid and useless to escape death...  
  
But why did anyone live then, if we were all going to die anyway?  
  
I cursed myself. Think, Mayanamar, don't have random philosophical thoughts like you always do! Think of how to escape!  
  
But I couldn't push that thought from my mind. Why were we living? Why did we keep living when we were going to die? Why didn't we die? Was this life really worth anything anyway?  
  
What was the meaning of life?  
  
I laughed out loud, a bitter laugh full of despair. Oh yes, ponder the meaning of life as you die, wonder about the pointlessness of your life as it falls to pieces before your eyes – your four eyes, don't forget! You aren't a vecol anymore!  
  
I was going crazy.  
  
Their shredders guided me into the spare escape pod that not many fighters had.  
  
{We can't bring you back, because we aren't allowed to have you. But we can't kill you because any evidence of your death will be used against us. And since we have a spare escape pod...}  
  
Oh yes, I got it now. Just put me here without anyway to get out, without any way to steer, then no evidence, no nothing, just go home with your DNA.  
  
{Curse you! You're always in the way! Do you want to be left behind on this planet? Or jettisoned into space in our escape pod with no steering control?} The voice of one of the soldiers echoed back to me from my memory. They had been planning this since then.  
  
I was so wrong to think that there was nothing that they could do to me.  
  
The soldiers sealed me into the escape pod without another word.  
  
I stared numbly at my surroundings. I was going to die. I was going to die. I. Was. Going. To. Die.  
  
It didn't sink in.  
  
Not until the escape pod started moving.  
  
{No!} I cried again.  
  
Too late.  
  
The sickening feeling of gravity being cut out from under me hit me and I stumbled. I made a desperate leap for the straps that would belt me in when the escape pod started spinning, causing me to crash into the other side.  
  
Great.  
  
I hoped with all the hope that I had that I was near a planet whose gravity could suck me in. I hoped with all the hope that I had that I was not near a black hole whose gravity could also suck me in.  
  
Unfortunately, I had no idea where I was.  
  
Painfully, I made my way to the straps again, clinging to whatever came to hand. The escape pod had stopped spinning, which helped, but the lack of gravity made it hard to move.  
  
My hands reached out for the strap and clutched it just as something outside hit the pod causing it to jerk to the right with a WHOOMPH! I let go of the strap just in time to avoid my arm getting jerked out of my socket, but was then again placed on the opposite side of the escape pod, away from the straps.  
  
This was getting ridiculous.  
  
My face was pushed against the side of the pod, making my eyes useless. Only one stalk eye was free to move, and so I circled it around, looking for anything that could help me.  
  
The next moment changed my life forever.  
  
My eye was looking at the clock that supposedly had the most accurate date keeper technology in space, something that soldiers used to figure out how long they had been drifting in the escape pod.  
  
For one moment the clock read that I had been in the pod for nineteen minutes and thirty-four seconds, and then the ship shuddered, as if an planetquake had happened and the ship was being rocked back and forth during the shocks.  
  
Except we were in space and planetquakes don't happen in space.  
  
My eye stared at the clock in disbelief.  
  
The clock read twenty-six years and nineteen mintues and thirty-five seconds, thirty-six, thirty seven, thirty-eight...  
  
Twenty-six years...  
  
I had jumped forward twenty-six years in the future.  
  
How?  
  
My mind raced through all the possibilities but it could only come up with one logical one.  
  
Sario Rip.  
  
At that second I felt gravity return, and I was sucked against the roof of the escape pod, my tail clanging against the metal.  
  
Yay. I hope that it is a planet and not a star.  
  
I gave the thought-command to open the window viewer and the computer complied slowly, probably due to the fact that it was opening against the gravitational pull of whatever had us.  
  
Suddenly the speed of the escape pod increased and I was thrown against the straps that I had been trying to reach all this time. I grabbed them and strapped myself in, bracing myself for the fact that I would certainly crash if this was a planet I was racing towards, and if it were a star...  
  
Well, the straps wouldn't help much then.  
  
Finally I was stable, and I looked out the now open window.  
  
I was hurtling towards a blue-green-white planet that I had seen before. A planet that swiftly turned, orbiting its sun on a tilted axis.  
  
Earth.  
  
*******************************Review Responses*************************  
  
Hey everybody! I just went back over my writing and found out that the Ellimist never told Mayanamar that the planet that the humans lived on was called Earth. However, let's us ignore that slight mistake of mine and pretend that the Ellimist did reveal that crucial piece of info to her. Thank you! And yes, this is the end of The Nadar Chronicles Part I: Andalite Home World. I will start up The Nadar Chronicles Part II: Earth very shortly. And now for the reviews!  
  
Anonymous-cat – Yeah, I thought that I might as well make the morphing process more complicated at first since normally science is not perfected at first try. So the morphing cube does get invented during the twenty-six year gap that Mayanamar skipped, and Escafil invents it! And cheese to your guesses – I'm sorry but I know that I'll reveal something if I even talk about it. (  
  
Hey – excuse me, he is adorable.  
  
Tabatha – thanks, I have a thing about governments and ruling systems. Not to mention law codes and how society works. Anyway, thank you so much about the books! Sorry that I don't live in Georgia. Also, I don't have any copies because my parents think that Animorphs isn't "appropriate" for me. Oh well. I make it appropriate. And if I have any questions about stuff that happened in the book, I'll make sure to email you. Thanks!  
  
Ali-Adi – Thanks for the review! I decided adding some background about the Nadar would probably be good since it was kind of thrown at my readers with Solethi.  
  
So, since I'm probably going to be updating daily because I have spring break now, it would be a nice thank you if more people reviewed. Please? I know that some people have me on their favorites and author alerts but they haven't review yet. I'm not mentioning any names, but you know who you are. At least I hope so. Well, anyway, review please! 


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